Run The Jewels co-founder El-P took to Instagram on Saturday, just days ahead of the supergroup’s forthcoming release, RTJ4, and announced that the album would arrive free of charge.
Related: Run The Jewels Share Tracklist, Guests For ‘RTJ4’
“i don’t have sh!t left to say right now that me and my brother [Killer Mike] don’t express on this album so i’m not saying shit anymore til then. on it is all our joy, humor, friendship and rage. we got bangers to help you lose yourself and smile and we got sh!t that comes from the deepest places in our hearts,” said El-P in a post to his personal Instagram account.
He continued, “When it dops on friday it will not only be for sale but it will be made available for FREE for ANYONE who wants some music.”
UPDATE 6/3/20: On Wednesday, Run The Jewels released RTJ4 two days early and free of charge. Along with the album’s early arrival, the duo explained, “[Expletive] it, why wait. The world is infested with bullshit so here’s something raw to listen to while you deal with it all. We hope it brings you some joy. Stay safe and hopeful out there.” Listen to RTJ4 below:
Run The Jewels – RTJ4 – Full Album
The announcement came just hours after the other half of RTJ, Killer Mike, gave an impassioned speech to the George Floyd protesters in Atlanta as a small portion of the larger protest began engaging in looting and arson over the weekend.
Along with words of empathy, El-P encouraged his fans to stay safe and protect one another during these difficult times as he closed his statement:
“for me this is the only way i really know how to contribute to the human struggle and experience beyond just trying to be kind and aware and grow… i love y’all be safe don’t fall for the f*ck shit and protect each other and your spirits from those that would divide and hurt you. this ain’t an advertisement this is just me saying i love you and i hope this music does something for you in these f*cked up times.”
The group’s forthcoming Run The Jewels 4 album is set for release this Friday, June 5th. El-P and Killer Mike have already released two singles from the album, “Yankee and the Brave” and “Ooh LA LA”. On Sunday, El-P shared a video of “A Few Words For The Firing Squad (radiation)” from his studio. Even though he shared the full 5:24 minute song to his 246,000 followers the track has not been released officially yet.
Additionally, RTJ recently postponed a tour with Rage Against The Machine as the COVID-19 crisis spread across the globe. Head to the group’s website for the latest tour and album information and check out Live For Live Music‘s concert cancellation tracker for daily updates on shows around the world.